The Atria GT Cutter is a high-speed, conveyorized cutting system designed to handle materials such as foam-backed vinyl, carpeting, and fabrics across automotive transportation interiors, fashion, and furniture.
The design team helped Gerber develop a new user-centered hardware design language DNA that formed the basis for a new design language trajectory. This new look and feel differentiates Gerber’s all-new, next-generation Atria platform as a significant departure from the previous Paragon series.
Gerber partnered with the designers to create a truly exceptional language that would be optimized for the needs of the soft goods and textiles industries. The design team conducted stakeholder interviews, onsite customer interviews, and usability workshops, and attended global industry tradeshows. Through this discovery, they established a list of priority targets, design criteria, and guiding attributes to measure success. Due to the large scale and cost of this device, throughout the design process, they regularly leveraged virtual reality as a key tool to evaluate human factors and proportions. The Atria GT and the resulting design language helped Gerber convey a more contemporary and cohesive position and develop consistency among the new product line while communicating quality to customers. From the form to the CMF (color, material, finish) strategy, to the way the on-product identity is conveyed through sophisticated brand identity applications, all user touch points connote a streamlined style, durability, efficiency, and value.
Key challenges that the designers wanted to solve:
A fresh new look showcasing Gerber’s new and improved mechanical architecture that also incorporates customer/stakeholder feedback.
A more contemporary design, focused on European tastes to drive global business.
Appear visually lighter while still conveying industrial-grade stability and durability.
Fewer vents near users to reduce excessive noise.
Materiality should reinforce value and quality.
An easy-to-manufacture, lightweight cutting head with ease of tool visibility.
Digital interfaces and maintenance tools should be more considered for users and well integrated into the machine design.
Key features of the Atria design:
An impressive, elevated design appealing to Gerber European sales partners.
The high-contrast silver panels visually drape over the dark chassis giving a sense of lightweight fluidity while being thick gauge steel for durability.
Minimized visual impact of ventilation and electrical by tucking intakes between silver and black panels and integrating status lighting and electrical into the stylized vertical exhaust tower.
Designed with manufacturability in mind by smart use of powder-coated bent sheet metal and thermoformed plastics throughout.
A large, thermoformed window secured with a sheet metal frame for a lightweight, durable and easy-to-see cutting head.
Easy to use and thoughtful maintenance through user research-informed controls, doors, onboard tools, and spare parts.
Category:IndustrialYear:2023Designers:Richard Watson, Jason Cooper, Taehak Kwon, Chris Parlato, Katie Schussheim, PA Consulting Team, PA Consulting, Boston, Massachusetts, USAManufacturer:Gerber Technology, Tolland, Connecticut, USA
